District Information

Assistive Technology Newsletter Tech Talk Volume 2, No. 2 Helping children learn to their full potential

Funding for this publication made possible with a grant from the MN Dept. of Education. The District Information source of the funds is federal award Special Education – Programs to States, CFDA 84.027A. Assistive Technology Team: Writing Challenges and Your Child writing is difficult.The Home Recorder Writing Process: Writing is a process that Your involves both motor and child cognitive skills. Motor can skills for writing (often record referred to as handwriting lectur skills) involve the actual es to physical or motor tasks supple required. The motor tasks ment of writing encompass Using AT at note legibility, eye-hand taking coordination, ability to use Home a writing tool (pencil, keyboard, etc.), spacing, letter formation, and letter size. The cognitive skills of Port writing involve thinking, Adapted Writing able planning, organization and Word decision making. Tools Cognitive sub skills Pr include spelling, ocessor mechanics (punctuation Adapt and capitalization), ed Type notes, answers to grammar and reading writin worksheets or papers if skills. g hand- utensi Sensory factors can ls impact one’s ability to help complete the writing childr process. These factors en include hypersensitivity or devel hyposensitivity to stimuli op such as visual clutter, indep fluorescent lighting, enden background noise and ce tactile stimulation. with Sensory factors are the typically taken into motor account as part of proce environmental ss of considerations when doing writin planning that supports the g process of writing.

Writing Tasks in Digital School: In school, the most common writing tasks include: e 1. P ding, editing and assistive supports for writing, shuts down or has  C s r evaluating writing should begin to be a need for an adult scribe. used for students whose o ; e handwriting is illegible. AT tools that support the m AT & Writing: - Low-tech solutions, such physical and cognitive pl  N w To support students with all of the skills required for as pencil grips and wide- skills of writing or provide e o ri effective writing, an lined paper, are a manageable sensory ti t ti assistive technology (AT) appropriate for many environment greatly o e n toolbox of writing supports beginning writers. reduce the stress levels n g can be put in place that However, when children for struggling writers. have a lot of ideas to These tools allow student o t , includes tools that range communicate and are writers to place primary f a from low-tech to high- b unsuccessful writing focus on what is being w k r tech. With advancements in technology, more words legibly on paper written rather than how or o i a writing tasks are being due to what appear to be where it is written. n r i completed electronically, physical limitations, the k g n which presents the IEP team should consider To learn more about s ; s struggling writer with a additional AT options, how your child might including higher-tech h t wide variety of available benefit from AT tools options. These options  P electronic writing tools. e o should be considered that support writing, e r r contact your child’s IEP Many parents and before the struggling ts o m teachers wonder when writer starts to avoid team leader. ; j i  Be a writing role Adapted paper e n Parent model (raised lines)  W c g t Questi ri a  Start a vocabulary  ti s n on notebook Intellikeys n ; d alternate g a p How can I help my  Help your child keyboard w n l child with ‘publish’ writing in d o a writing at places around the  r n home? house Portable word d  T n processors (Neo) s, e i Provide authentic For more ideas, check s writing opportunities out Wendy Miller's s n  e t g for your child by article, “The Best Ways to Support Writing at Predictive word n s ; integrating writing into part of everyday home Home: Draw or talk processors t life: about a real life (CoWriter, Read e Completi 2. D on of experience” and Write Gold) n r these  Use a dry erase http://www.greatschools c .org/students/homework tasks a board for  e ft -help/341-tips-to- involves messaging LiveScribe Sky s, writing i support-writing-at- home.gs Wifi, Echo and p composit n  Encourage your Pulse smart pens a ion, the g child to add to a r ability to ; express grocery list  a a ideas in AT to Support Digital recorders g n a way  Make letters with and auditory r d Handwriting that is wiki-sticks, play notetakers a Difficulties meaningf dough or a p ul to 3. 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Creati (Grammarl tin If your child's language ve Dicti y, App g skills far surpass the Book onar GrammarB Pr ability to produce text Builde y/Th ase)  Writing scaffolding act with pencil and paper r esau (Draft:Builder SE ice (or computer for word (Tiger rus: :  Pi processing), voice [Don Johnston] Ng) - - Do cture recognition might be a Author’s Toolkit, - Dictionar As Me writing good option. Before WriteBrain) Dr y.com (CRO jumping to voice ag (Dictiona software [Sunburst] MBEZ recognition, standard on ry.com) (Clicker, Emma word processing, and Di - Writing Resources nuel) word processing with ct Dictionar with  Technology - word prediction should at y! 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